Trials of Nidhogg
by Salvadora11
Summary: [Etrian Odyssey] The mysteries of the Yggdrasil Labyrinth have yet to be solved. Is it even possible? This guild will have to find out the hard way.
1. Chapter 1: Birth of a Dragon

Trials of Nidhogg

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the "Etrian Odyssey" franchise, but I own the game. Bwahaha.

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**Intro**

Long ago, the Labyrinth was discovered near the small town of Etria. For a time, people stood at its gates, wondering about it. How was it possible to find a forest underground? How far did it reach? And would someone dare enter it?

Finally, the Radha of Etria made a worldwide declaration inviting any who dared to enter such a place to do so. Shortly thereafter, a group of explorers came from afar and stunned the small community by entering the wood. They were gone for more than a day, and when they came back, they had many tales of monsters, marvels, and phenomena beyond belief.

Soon all sorts of travelers came and marveled at its beauty. The brave entered to explore the depths. Surely there must be some secret to its source. But none ever reached it, no matter how many tried. Lives were made, lost, and forgotten in its strata as new adventurers replaced fallen ones. All the while, Etria was becoming one of the world's richest societies, dedicating their resources towards sustaining the constant flow of travelers.

The forest was suddenly famous, and due to its harsh nature of taking the lives of the unwary, was named the Labyrinth. Few know how the name Yggdrasil was brought about, but it was quickly attached and spread throughout the world.

Thus, the adventures started, and the mystery of the Yggdrasil Labyrinth began…

**Chapter 1 – Birth of a Dragon**

The town was bustling with activity, as it usually was. Travelers from the world over walked in groups and guilds, discussing plans, strategies, and stories. Some were counting money, or shouting excitedly about an incredible find. Some were pacing, some were arguing. Some were simply enjoying themselves among the crowds.

Some were lost.

Sarless walked slowly through the town centre, wide-eyed in wonder. When he had left his hometown in search of adventure, he had never expected to find that so many others had done the same. He couldn't move without bumping into someone, which made him very uncomfortable, but he continued anyways, because he was drawn to the chaos. He passed by the tall monument that marked the town centre, the Verda Plaza. A group of troubadours had set up and started playing in hopes of receiving donations. Sarless wanted to stop and listen, but the flow of the crowd prevented him from standing still.

He decided to try to find the place where all new travelers were expected to show up - an Explorer's Guild. There, he would find others and form a guild together in order to journey into the depths of the forest; since everyone knew it was suicide to attempt it alone. Sarless was having trouble seeing above the crowds, being shorter than everyone else. It was a gift and a curse, since it helped him in battle, but it came with a price. And so was his present condition.

Looking up, he saw a building with two large, crossed swords. Thinking it might be the explorer's guild he was looking for, he managed to push his way against the current and stop in front of the door of the building.

'It looks like a sort of significant building. I might be in the right place.' Sarless thought, before pushing open the doors.

He wasn't. He quickly figured out that it was a weapons and armour shop. There were quite a few travelers looking at the equipment. There was a group that looked very impressive, with shiny metal armour and very expensive weapons. They walked by Sarless without even glancing at him, and Sarless felt their powerful presence as they passed by him. He suddenly felt afraid of what lay in wait inside the labyrinth. If those explorers needed to be that strong in order to survive, how was he supposed to?

"Ey! Kid! You jus' gonna stand t'ere all day? Or are ya lost?" A voice suddenly cried out. Sarless looked over and immediately blushed, seeing an older girl behind the counter wearing fairly revealing clothes. She looked like a witch doctor from an island tribe, and she was looking in his direction. Sarless looked behind him to see who she was talking to, but there was no one else there.

"Ya you, ya dummie. Come over 'ere." The girl directed. Sarless adjusted his kerchief to hide his blush, and walked over to the girl behind the counter, trying to avoid looking at the revealed skin. But the girl just laughed at his discomfort. Sarless looked at her, slightly confused. She didn't seem upset with him.

"It 'elps sales, ya know." She winked. Sarless' blush deepened and he looked away again. There was bit of a commotion from a group at the other side of the shop, and it caught his eye.

"Pleeeeeeease can I get it James? I really want it, and we can afford it!" a female troubadour pleaded with a guy holding a large shield, who appeared to be the leader of the group.

"I already told you, we don't need to get useless trinkets! Now let's go." James replied, clearly annoyed.

"Aw, just let 'er get it, James," the girl behind the counter called over, "It might just 'elp 'er concentration." James looked over, frowning, and then looked back to the troubadour, who nodded excitedly. He sighed and took the item from the girl, and brought it to the counter. Sarless stood by and watched the quick exchange of money, seeing that the item looked like a sort of instrument. James gave the instrument to the troubadour, and the group followed him out of the shop, the girl gurgling with excitement. Sarless turned back to the girl behind the counter, who smiled back at him.

"T'ey're a good group of people. Anyways, my name's Shilleka, I own t'is shop." Shilleka gave a small gesture to the rest of the room, leaning on her elbows. Sarless nodded and pulled down his kerchief so that he could speak clearly.

"My name's Sarless," he said shyly, "I was um… looking for the Explorer's Guild." Shilleka nodded knowingly.

"Of course ya were." She smiled, "'Ey, turn around and lemme see yer bow." Sarless was surprised for a second, and then looked over his shoulder at his bow, which was slung across his back. He turned around so Shilleka could see it.

"Ah," she continued, "So yer from Beyla, eh? Not a bad area."

Sarless was quietly impressed with Shilleka's skill. It was true that each region had their own style of weaponry, but Sarless had never met someone who could identify them just by looking at them. He turned around again to face Shilleka.

"Are there many of them here?" Sarless asked quietly.

"Nah, not too many aroun' anymore. Looking for someone?" Shilleka asked.

"Sort of…" Sarless trailed off, and shook his head, "Forget about it."

"Well, you better head off to t'Explorer's Guild. It's t'next door o'er, to yer left." She pointed in the direction she was speaking of, and Sarless followed with a quick look. He suddenly felt a little less afraid in this strange town, and more excited. He now had a direction to travel in. He was one step closer to the adventure he'd been searching for.

"Thanks a lot!" He shouted as he rushed towards the door.

"See ya soon. But be careful!" Shilleka called after him.

Outside, Sarless quickly looked up to check the time. The sun was still near the middle of the sky. Just past noon. He was staying close to the building walls, avoiding the rush of the crowds, when he suddenly heard a cry from behind him.

"Look out! Get out of the way!" A strong female voice called from behind the crowds. Everyone looked over to see what the yelling was about, and quickly cleared a path for the traveler. Unfortunately, Sarless didn't realize what was going on, and was given a rough shove by a fearsome-looking girl carrying a gigantic shield. He fell backwards onto the stone road, and quickly shifted himself against the wall of the weapons shop. Sarless watched as a guild rushed past, carrying one of their members. He didn't seem to be in good shape. The girl leading the guild kept yelling at people as she led the others forward. Sarless guessed that the infirmary was further up ahead, and decided to pay more attention, in case there was another group coming. He picked up his cap, adjusting the feather, and put it back on as he got up.

With a little dodging and weaving through the crowds, Sarless was at the door to the Explorer's Guild in no time. He opened the door, and the inside of the building managed to surprise him. He expected to find a large lounge area with many new travelers, discussing and debating; basically where they could meet and get together. Instead, he found himself in a room with a desk centered in the middle. It all seemed quite formal, except for a large wooden black cat sitting on top of a mirror behind the desk. It seemed out of place. As Sarless was studying the room, a man with a large blue cloak slung over his shoulder and an eye-patch covering his left eye walked in. He looked like he had seen his fair share of battles.

"Welcome to Etria, kid," He said in a gruff voice, "You looking for someone in particular, or do you need to find a crew?"

Sarless was once again intimidated by the new person. "I was… uh… t-trying to find some others." He stuttered.

"Heh. I'm the Guildmaster here. I'm one of the few that are still accepting adventurers, so you're in luck. Come with me." He walked into the room behind the desk, and Sarless followed silently. He could hear some people talking as he stepped through the door. So this was the lounge that he had been expecting. They stepped into the room and Sarless saw three others, presumably ones who were also new to Etria. Their conversation ended when they noticed the new entrant. The Guildmaster walked over to the others and introduced them.

"Sarless, this is Cerubois, a landsknecht." He pointed to a figure asleep in a chair, but didn't bother waking him up. "And this is Erika, a medic." He stated, pointing to a girl seated on the couch. She had caring look about her, with long dirty-blonde hair and soft grey eyes. Erika smiled and gave a polite wave as she was named. "And finally, this is Cliff, an alchemist." Cliff nodded quietly, causing his light-blonde hair falling in front of his dark blue eyes. He quickly pushed it away again. The Guildmaster walked back over to Sarless. "Everyone, this is Sarless. He'll be the next member of your guild." Sarless nodded towards the two on the couch, smiling uncomfortably and feeling like an intruder.

"You four are the only recruits I've had so far this week," the Guildmaster continued, "so you'll just have to wait for a fifth member. I highly suggest not going into the Labyrinth with any less than that. Now I'll leave you to get acquainted." He exited into the front room, leaving Sarless with the others.

"Uh… Hi." Sarless said awkwardly.

"Why don't you pull up a chair and introduce yourself? We might as well get to know each other." Erika suggested. Sarless nodded, and moved a chair from the wall towards the two sitting on the couch.

After sitting down, Sarless decided to begin with the basics. "Well, my name is Sarless. I'm from the Beyla region. I'm what you'd call a Survivalist, I guess. I'm pretty good with a bow and strategy's definitely my forte. Um… What about you guys?"

Erika glanced at Cliff before going ahead, "Well, as I was introduced, my name is Erika, and I'm a medic from Hedin," Erika said with a smile, "So, obviously, I'm an expert with medicines and cure spells. Or at least I'd like to be… I'm kind of an amateur right now. But I try." She grinned. She looked at Cliff, signaling that it was his turn.

Cliff shifted uncomfortably from the stares. "I'm Cliff. I'm an alchemist. I'm still training my magic, so don't expect any big feats." He said without looking at the others.

Sarless smirked, "Just being able use magic in the first place seems like quite a feat to me," he said thoughtfully, "Is it your glove that gives you the powers?" He motioned towards the glove that all alchemists could be seen wearing, each with its own rune inscribed into it. Sarless had never met one before.

Cliff gave Sarless an insulted look. "If it were that easy, anybody could do it." He put his hand over his glove and brushed the rune lightly. "It takes a great deal of concentration in order to harness the power of nature," he described in an unreceptive tone, "This glove simply acts as a device to keep the power together. Admitted, without it, it would be difficult to use magic, but it's still possible. Only the greatest alchemists can do it."

Sarless nodded and looked over to Cerubois, who was still asleep in the chair beside the couch. His red armour lay beside it, which matched his blazing red hair. He had a simple sword, which matched one that Sarless had seen in Shilleka's shop. "What about him?" He asked the others.

"Cerubois? He's a landsknecht, as the Guildmaster said," Erika answered. "When he's awake, he's really energetic. He thinks he's the best fighter around, so he's always jumping around and boasting about it," she smiled and shook her head. "The Guildmaster said that kind of attitude is gonna get him killed, but luckily I'll be there to help him along. Besides, he gets worn out pretty fast, so it's not too bad."

Sarless nodded. So these were the people he'd be spending his adventures with. He decided that he'd gotten lucky in being put with a group that seemed capable of working together.

_**Blam!**_

Everyone jumped at the sudden noise. It sounded like someone had barged into the building, and Sarless could hear yelling. He looked at the others, who shrugged, and got up to see what was going on. He could make what the people were saying before he even got to the door.

"This is _all your_ fault!"

"Please! I'm sorry!"

"I'm never talking to you again! You've ruined my reputation!"

Sarless realized he recognized that voice, but he couldn't place it. He peered around the doorframe to see into the other room. There stood the girl who had been yelling at the crowd to move earlier, her blue eyes flashing with fury behind her long blonde hair. Behind her was the other member of the guild who had been injured. Apparently he had been healed already, although his face was still sheet-white. The girl looked furious, and Sarless decided not to go further into the room.

"I can't believe I've been kicked out of my own guild!" The girl cried, and the boy behind her flinched noticeably. "Because _you_ made a mistake and nearly got yourself killed! What the hell am I supposed to do now!? You idiot!" She slammed her fist into the table.

"I…" The boy started, but stopped. He was truly speechless, and Sarless couldn't tell whether his face was white out of fatigue or fear. Sarless felt a little sympathetic to him, even though he didn't know the whole story. He noticed that the girl was shaking, her head down. But after seeing a glint fall from her face, he knew it wasn't out of anger. She was crying.

"Ahem," The Guildmaster cleared his throat. Sarless looked around further to see that he was in the corner, holding a book in his hands. "Can I help you?"

The girl sobbed, but wiped her eyes and looked up, glaring at the Guildmaster. "Yes. I've come… to register for a new guild." She managed to choke out. But her tears had stopped, and she was in control again. Sarless walked away from the doorframe and back towards the rest of his guild.

"I think we've found the las-"

"**WHAT?!** I need to join a newbie guild?!" The girl's voice cried out again. Sarless flinched this time. Perhaps his luck had run out with this new arrival. She didn't seem compatible with anyone. He sighed and sat back down in his chair, trying not to listen to the girl's ranting against the Guildmaster, who remained calm throughout the argument. Erika and Cliff just stared worriedly at Sarless, who tried to give an encouraging smile back at them. Cerubois stirred in his sleep, and started snoring. Cliff pulled out a coin from his pocket and threw it at Cerubois, hitting him on the chin. Cerubois grunted and shifted again. His snoring stopped.

"Cliff!" Erika scolded, "That could have hit his eye! Don't do that!"

Cliff simply smirked, "Well it stopped his snoring." Erika gave him a disapproving glare, and Cliff stopped laughing. "Fine…" He said, defeated.

Just then, the Guildmaster walked in, with the upset girl walking behind, her arms folded inside their thick armour. The Guildmaster was about to do the round of introductions but the girl simply walked past him. She stood in front of the group at the couch and gave them an examining look. Her gaze fell on Cerubois, asleep in the chair, and she snorted in disapproval. She walked back to the Guildmaster.

"They're the only ones?" She asked, annoyed. The Guildmaster nodded. She sighed, relaxing her arms. She seemed to be making a decision. "I suppose they'll do." She finally said, turning to the group. "Alright, you bunch of weaklings, my name is Amy Remella, Holy Protector of Vanlandi, and from now on, I will be the leader of your guild. It will be calle-"

"Hang on a minute." Came an unfamiliar voice. Everyone turned to see that Cerubois had woken up and was sitting up in the chair, an irritated look upon his face. Sarless gave a 'when-did-he-wake-up?' look to the others, who shrugged. Cerubois continued, "Shouldn't we be voting on a leader, instead of self-appointing one? And we should all be deciding on a name. It's fair that way." He said matter-of-factly.

Amy had an even more irritated look on her face when she replied, "Fine. We'll all vote on a leader."

"ME!" Cerubois shouted excitedly as he jumped up, punching the air.

Amy scoffed, "I vote for myself."

"Well… I vote for Sarless." Erika stated happily. Sarless' eyes grew wide. He wasn't expecting to be voted for. He simply didn't want to compete with Amy. But Cliff nodded in agreement with Erika. "Me too." He said quietly.

"Well, Sarless?" The Guildmaster questioned, "It's all up to your vote. If it's a tie, we'll just have to have a tiebreaking vote."

"Yes, Sarless." Amy said spitefully.

Sarless was speechless. He never thought he'd be chosen as a leader. He'd never even considered it on his journey here. His whole life, he'd been the underdog, never the person in charge. He wasn't sure what to do. Would he be a good leader? He decided… He should vote for the person he thought most capable, as the others did.

"I vote…for Erika." He said. Erika cheered and hugged him. Cerubois' jaw dropped, and he sat back down, defeated.

Amy's disappointed expression quickly turned to one of angered indifference. "Fine. Have it your way." She said flatly, leaning against the wall and staring off at nothing.

"Well, it's decided then," the Guildmaster stated, "Sarless is the leader of this guild. Now how about a name?"

"The Cerubois Guild!" Cerubois shouted, jumping up again. Everyone stared at him blankly. He blushed, grinned and sat down again, saying nothing.

"I once heard a tale about Yggdrasil," Cliff spoke up, "It was an ancient story, passed down among the people in an isolated village. A traveler from that village came to our town and told of the great wonders of the Yggdrasil tree, which existed long before the Labyrinth was discovered. He described beasts and Gods and monsters, but one stood out to me the most. There was a dragon that lived at the roots of Yggdrasil. It was called Nidhoggr, or Nidhogg. I think… that would be a good name."

Cliff looked up to see everyone staring at him. He turned away in embarrassment, wishing he'd kept his mouth shut.

"Alright! The Nidhogg Guild! We're goin' down to the roots of Yggdrasil!" Cerubois cried out. Cliff looked back to the group, surprised to see that they were smiling in approval. Everyone but Amy. She was still staring off into the distance. But Cliff felt better, and allowed himself a smile as well.

The Guildmaster nodded. "From now on, you will be known as the Nidhogg Guild. Your guild leader is Sarless. You're now ready to head out on your own. I suggest you take some time exploring Etria before heading into the Labyrinth. Acquaint yourself with the locals, because you'll see them often. And buy some equipment and medicine. You'll need it. I look forward to seeing you all back soon safe and sound. Good luck." He said. He walked into the front room again, leaving the newly-formed group to discuss their first moves.

"Let's go shopping!" Cerubois shouted as he picked up his stuff and ran out of the room. Everyone got up and followed, laughing. Amy stood there a few minutes, until Sarless called her from the other room. She gritted her teeth and sighed, before walking after the group.

-----

The newly-formed guild had pooled what money they had brought with them, and decided that Cliff would carry it with him, since he would be least likely to spend it or lose it. Dropping it in battle wouldn't be an issue, since he wouldn't need to move around as much. Erika had also brought some medicine with her, knowing she'd need it. After finding that they had the essentials in order to venture into the Labyrinth, they decided to find some weapons and armour at Shilleka's Goods. Erika and Cliff desperately needed some protective clothing, and Cerubois wanted to have a look at their weapons. Sarless said that he didn't need anything, but he'd come along. Amy hadn't said anything since the vote, and followed at a distance.

Sarless led the group through the doors to Shilleka's shop, and was immediately welcomed back.

"Ey! That was quick, eh Sarless?" Shilleka called, turning away from her work. She set her tools down and walked back to the counter to greet them, "So who're yer friends?"

Sarless grinned as he introduced his friends, "Shilleka, meet Cliff, Erika, Cerubois, and Amy. Everyone, this is Shilleka."

"Hey."

"Nice to meet you."

"…" ("_Cerubois, quit staring_!") "Oh, um… heh… Hi."

Shilleka smiled and nodded, and looked around them to see Amy still standing by the door impatiently. "Nice to meetch'all. I seen Amy aroun' before. What's she doin' wit' you guys?"

Sarless hesitated, "Uh, I don't think it's my place to say…"

"Sure it is, _leader_," Amy cut in, stepping forward, "I'll tell you why I'm with these losers. That stupid kid Niome got me kicked out of my guild. And now I've had to join up with a new one." She said spitefully, and started walking back towards the door, "I'll be at the Labyrinth entrance. Don't keep me waiting." She stepped outside and closed the door firmly behind her.

Shilleka sighed and shook her head, "Don' worry about 'er kids. She can get like t'at sometimes."

Sarless nodded slowly, looking disappointedly at the doors, "Alright guys, let's get our stuff and go."

Shilleka pointed towards a wall of the shop, "T'at's t'place for alchemist an' medic armour." Sarless went with Cliff and Erika to find some appropriate armour. "An' swords are kept in the back." She continued saying to Cerubois, "Got anyt'ing in mind, there Cerubois? P'haps you'd like to see?"

Cerubois laughed hesitantly and swallowed hard. He was obviously uncomfortable with the thought of going into an isolated place with Shilleka. Shilleka noticed this, and smiled, "How 'bout I just bring you somet'ing t'at I t'ink you'll like."

Cerubois smiled nervously and nodded. Shilleka disappeared into the back, and Cerubois looked around the shop. There were many swords hanging behind the counter. Some looked very stylish, while others looked just plain deadly. He couldn't decide which he'd like better. While he was lost in thought, the others returned from their search, carrying two leather vests. They had found some stronger material armour in their search, but it didn't fit their budget at the moment, and they'd left it. Shilleka also came back out, carrying a small sword.

Cerubois looked at the sword she was carrying, and raised an eyebrow, "It's kinda short, isn't it?"

"Ah," Shilleka answered, "But t'is is a very powerful shortsword. It's much better t'an t'one you 'ave right now."

Cerubois seemed convinced, and asked how much it was.

"350 ental," was Shilleka's response, "710 altogether wit' t'armour." Cerubois looked to the others. With their money pooled, they had 1230en. It was more than enough, but Sarless wasn't sure if they should simply spend almost all of it in one go. He resolved that they could always make more if needed, so he nodded, and Cliff got out the pouch that contained their money. He quickly counted out the 710en and handed it to Shilleka, who slipped it into a pouch that she always carried with her.

"Nice doin' business witcha." she said kindly, "Make sure you bring me back lotsa stuff to work wit'. I could use some more hides for t'leather armour, but I'll take anyt'ing you find."

Everyone nodded, and Sarless directed everyone out, thanking Shilleka.

"T'was no problem! Be careful out t'ere!" Shilleka called.

Outside, Sarless had an easier time seeing around the town. The midday crowd had dissipated somewhat as the day closed into late afternoon. The entrance to the Yggdrasil Labyrinth was on the outskirts of town, about a 20-minute walk from where they were. Sarless judged by the time of day that they'd probably be spending some time in the Labyrinth at night. That was just fine with him.

"Hey, Nidhogg Guild! Wait up!" A voice called out to them as they were walking away. The guild looked back to see the Guildmaster waving them over. They looked at each other, and rushed over to see what was up. "I'm glad I caught you," the Guildmaster continued, "I forgot to tell you about the task you're supposed to perform before you're officially considered a guild."

"You mean we're not… actually a guild yet?" Cerubois questioned, deflated.

"No. Not really," the Guildmaster replied, frowning, "You'll need to go to Radha Hall and talk with Subaltern Quinn in order to sign up for the task. It's pretty simple, but it's a requirement for all guilds."

"What is it?" Erika asked.

"You'll find out soon enough," the Guildmaster answered, "There's no reason to worry. I'm sure you can handle it easily enough. Now get going before it's too dark to see."

Sarless was about to argue that point, since his eyesight was better than most, but remembered that the others couldn't say the same. "Alright," he said instead, "Let's go get this over with so we can start exploring." The others agreed, and the left towards the Hall in order to receive their first mission.

"Good luck." The Guildmaster said before disappearing back into the building.

"I wonder what they want us to do to prove ourselves…" Cerubois thought aloud, examining his new shortsword. He turned it over, examining the craftsmanship. Content, he sheathed it in his belt.

Erika shrugged in response to Cerubois' thought, "Well it can't be too hard, guessing by the amount of people here. They all must've passed it."

"I hate trials… We should just be allowed to do what we're able to do." Cliff muttered, remembering his alchemy training. Countless training sessions and tests under a hard-bent instructor had been a three-year nightmare for him.

"But Cliff, remember – it's probably about safety," Erika replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "The Radha doesn't want people to just go out and get themselves killed. They want to make sure that the guild can survive on their own before letting them loose."

"Hmph." Cliff turned away defiantly, "Doesn't change my opinion…" He mumbled.

"Well, we're here." Sarless stated. They stopped at the doors to the magnificent building. It was likely the largest building in town, next to the apothecary, with great dome roofs throughout the structure. Sarless stepped forward and opened the doors, which emitted a slight groan as they swung. The guild walked inside slowly, admiring the beauty of the stonework within the building. They walked along a short hallway, ending up in the main lobby room. The tiled floor extended into many hallways at different angles, and engraved into the back wall of the lobby was a great tree, with a gold disk at the top.

"Yggdrasil," Cliff whispered, "I believe the disk represents a place called Asgard, the home of the Gods."

"But if that thing represents Yggdrasil, and we're at the top of the Yggdrasil Labyrinth, wouldn't that make Etria the home of the Gods?" Cerubois questioned.

The others simply looked at him like he had just leaped across a canyon.

"Haha. Not quite," A new voice said softly, "That engraving is simply a piece of art that the Chieftain admired. Nothing quite as significant as you'd think." Everyone looked over to see who was speaking, and saw a young man with square-rimmed glasses in front of his blue eyes and short flame-orange hair.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Subaltern Quinn. You are new faces here, correct? Would you care to introduce yourselves?"

The guild members stood straighter, in case they would be judged right away.

"My name is Sarless."

"I'm Erika."

"Cliff."

"And I'm Cerubois!"

Quinn looked them over, and nodded in recognition of the adventurers. "Is it just the four of you?" He inquired, a hint of concern in his voice.

"Uh, no, there's another," Sarless answered, "Her name is Amy, she's waiting for us outside."

"I see. And you are a new guild attempting to be officially recognized by the Radha, yes? I'll need your guild name." Quinn said as he walked over to a desk with pile of sheets of parchment.

"Nidhogg." The four answered in unison. Erika giggled.

Quinn stopped writing and turned his head at the answer, "Nidhogg. Interesting… I like it." He turned back to the paper and finished what he was writing. He set the quill down on top of the paper and walked back to the guild members.

"Your task to become an official guild is to map the first floor of the Yggdrasil Labyrinth, as is the requirement for every new guild." Quinn explained formally.

Cerubois' jaw dropped, "That's it? All we need to do is draw a map?"

"Yes," Quinn answered, as if he were asked that question every day, "And when it is complete, you will return here to show me. When I determine the quality of your map, I shall decide if you are fit enough to proceed as a guild."

"That seems… Easy enough." Cliff said.

"Yes, it is fairly easy simply drawing the map, but do not forget about the monsters that dwell in the forest. Do not let your guard down." Quinn lectured.

"Are there any other requirements?" Sarless asked, wanting to know everything ahead of time.

"No, that is all, Sarless. You are free to go explore now. Just don't forget my warning." Quinn answered. "And good luck on your journeys."

Sarless nodded excitedly, "Alright everyone, let's get going!" He beckoned, and ran for the door. The others followed, excitement spreading through all of them. They were on their way to their very own adventure.

Subaltern Quinn sighed to himself at their eagerness to enter the Labyrinth.

'If only they knew… I suppose they'll find out for themselves how cruel the Labyrinth can be…'

* * *

**In the next Chapter…**

**The Nidhogg guild begins their exploration of the first floor of the Labyrinth in order to prove themselves worthy of serving Etria. But nothing ever goes to plan, and a new opportunity to test their skills arises. Are they ready for it?**

**"Cerubois! Help!" She cried, hiding her face behind her arms.**

**The beast charged mercilessly. There was no stopping it. There seemed only one outcome, and it wasn't the one she wanted.**

**'Please… Not yet…'**

* * *

Author's Notes: 

-Okay then. As you've hopefully noticed, I'll be referring to the character classes as they are in the game. I'll give a list of what they are for those of you who haven't played the game:

-Landsknecht: Your basic swordsman, can either use swords or axes. (Cerubois)  
-Survivalist: An archer, kinda like an elf, but human. (Sarless)  
-Protector: Very good defensive character. (Amy)  
-Dark Hunter: Uses a whip in combat.  
-Medic: Healer. (Like white mage, if you're into FF) (Erika)  
-Alchemist: Offensive magic user. (Like black mage, again in FF) (Cliff)  
-Troubadour: Musician. (they create stat boosts and such in battle)  
-Ronin: A lot like a samurai.  
-Hexer: Pretty original character… Looks like a phantom. They curse enemies. Spooky.

-Beyla is the name of an elf from Norse mythology (I figured I'd stick with Norse). And since Survivalists are kinda like elves, I figured I'd make Sarless' region an elfish place.

-Vanlandi (Vanlande) is the name of a Swedish king from Norse Mythology. I just liked the name as a region. No real imagery or anything behind it. :P

-Hedin is the name of a prince from (you guessed it!) Norse Mythology. It sounds kinda like Eden, so it's appropriate, no?


	2. Chapter 2: Explorers of Yggdrasil

Trials of Nidhogg

**Disclaimer**: I own nuttin' but meself.

**Chapter 2 – Explorers of Yggdrasil**

Amy wasn't there waiting when the group arrived at the entrance of the Labyrinth. Sarless sighed inwardly, having known this might happen.

"Where'd she go now?" Cerubois asked irritatedly, "She said she'd be here."

"Relax, Ceru," Erika responded, looking around the area, "She's probably around somewhere."

"Well I don't plan on looking for her. She can… Hey, what did you just call me?" Cerubois raised an eyebrow.

"Ceru," Erika answered, smiling, "It's your nickname now. And don't get upset with Amy. I'm willing to bet there's a nice, soft person under all that armour."

'Both mentally and physically.' She continued in her thoughts, her smile fading.

"And I'm willing to bet she went inside the forest on her own, since she's such a cold-hearted bitch."

"Cerubois, that's enough." Sarless cut him off, "Amy is a member of our guild, and we've got to treat her like one. She just needs time to adjust."

"Hmph." Cerubois glowered, "And what are we supposed to do now? It's going to be dark soon, and we're missing one person."

They turned towards their destination. The Yggdrasil Labyrinth looked like a giant mouth in the hillside, with trees as its teeth, ready to swallow any who dared get too close. A shiver ran down Sarless' spine. He took a step towards the forest, marveling at the sight, and saw another guild had just exited from the woods, laughing and cheering. They traveled towards the town on the thin path that trailed straight through the middle of the opening. They seemed glad to be out of there before night fell. Sarless wondered if Cerubois was right about Amy going in alone.

'Is she really that angry to do something so foolish?' He thought, showing no concern on his face, but feeling it inside. If he was going to be a leader, he needed to be strong and not cause worry to the others. 'Well, perhaps she can take care of herself if she did go in, but that doesn't change the situation.' And what if she had just gone to get something in town? Sarless took a deep breath to clear his head.

"We'll go in," Sarless said, turning to the others, "Like Cerubois said, we're missing one member, so we'll just have to be more careful. Besides, we're only going in to make a map, and we can leave if it gets too dangerous."

The others nodded slowly, feeling a little anxious. But they all felt the same way. They simply wanted to go in and experience what they'd come here for. The thrill of finally being here, along with the curiosity of such a marvel and the fear of the unknown created a complex uneasiness in them. They wanted to go in and find out what it was all about.

"I can't believe we're actually here…" Erika whispered, more to herself than the others.

Cerubois grinned, imagining the adventures ahead of them, "I can feel it already! Let's go!" He shouted, and rushed forwards, almost knocking over the exiting guild.

"Cerubois! What did I just say about being careful!?" Sarless yelled as he ran after him.

Erika giggled at the two, and rushed off to catch up. "Come on, Cliff!" She called over her shoulder.

Cliff sighed, "This is so not my style…" He muttered as he started running.

-----

The trees of the Labyrinth stretched high above the ground, their canopies blocking the ceiling from view. Although they were now underground, sunlight still managed to creep through to light the area and make the whole area seem very peaceful and serene. Flowers bloomed on the ground, and the grass and moss flourished everywhere.

The group walked through slowly, admiring the view. It was like any other forest they had been in, yet different. It had its own unique aura to it. It was mystical and full of life, and still felt untouched even after all of the visitors it received. And from being isolated underground, the forest was dead silent from a lack of wildlife.

'A lack of non-violent wildlife.' Sarless thought, glancing around him and recognizing the dangers that lay ahead. But it was Cerubois who led the group with confidence. He was simply enjoying the feel of the wilderness, unwary of anything threatening him. His sword was still at his side, unused and clean. Sarless walked a few steps behind Cerubois, sketching their path on a sheet of parchment, as well as jotting down some good spots to set ambushes or rest. Erika and Cliff brought up the rear, Erika marveling at the scenery, and Cliff walking silently and casually, as if this were nothing out of the ordinary.

"C'mon, Cliff. Lighten up a little. This is exciting!" Erika said as she elbowed him.

"I am lightened up." Cliff responded monotonely.

"You're not even smiling!" Erika teased.

"Why do I need to smile to lighten up?" Cliff asked, slightly annoyed.

"Smile for me. To show me you're happy." Erika said, stepping in front of him to block him off.

"No." Cliff stated defiantly, and tried to walk around her. Erika simply side-stepped to block his path again, crossing her arms expectantly. Cliff finally looked her in the eyes. "Erika, I don't want to play games. Let me pass." Cliff said, unamused.

Erika shook her head, smiling. "You made it a game, I'm just playing along."

Cliff squinted, challenging her. He lifted his gloved hand.

"Hurry up you two! You're falling behind! If we get separated we're all going to be in trouble!" Sarless called from where he and Cerubois were waiting. Erika glanced behind her, then back at Cliff.

"Fine. Have it your way." She smirked at Cliff, and skipped away. Cliff lowered his hand and shook his head, confused by her game. Or _his_ game, as she made it seem.

'Why do girls have to be so weird?' He sighed as he began walking forwards.

Cliff caught up with the rest easily, since they had stopped at a fork in the trail. Erika and Sarless looked down the separate paths to try to figure out which way they should go. Cerubois waited impatiently for the decision.

"Well, I don't think it'll matter which way we go," Erika stated, "We have to map the whole place, so we'll end up going both ways eventually."

Sarless nodded in agreement, still looking down the path. He turned back to the others to see them looking at him expectantly. 'Oh. I guess they want me to tell them where to go…' He was still getting used to being the leader.

"Umm, I guess I'll flip a coin. Heads, we go right. Tails, left." He reached into his pocket to pull out a coin, then remembered that Cliff had them. "Oh yeah. Cliff, could I have a coin?" Cliff reached into his pouch and tossed Sarless a coin. He was about to flip it when he heard Cerubois shout "Dibs!". Sarless looked over, thinking he wanted to flip the coin, but Cerubois was running off away from the group.

"Cerubois, where-" Sarless started, then saw the monster a few yards ahead of Cerubois. A common treerat. 'Great. I tell him to be careful and he rushes off to take on monsters by himself.' Sarless thought irritatedly. He drew his bow and loosely strung an arrow in case Cerubois needed assistance.

Erika glanced from Cerubois to Sarless, worried. "Ceru! Don't be stupid!" She called after him. Cerubois ignored her. He was closing in on the enemy, smiling at his imminent victory. He planned out his action as he drew close enough to strike. 'Just one more step and-'

_**Swip**_

Cerubois looked up to view his success, but was shocked to see that he hadn't even touched the rat.

'What…?' He thought, his smile fading quickly, 'The sword! I forgot it was-'

"Ahhh!" Cerubois yelled as the treerat bit onto the armour covering his wrist, "Get it off! Get it off!" He continued yelling, shaking his arm frantically.

If Sarless weren't concerned, he would've laughed at the sight, but instead he called "Hold still!".

Cerubois looked towards Sarless, momentarily stopping his arm-shaking, to see Sarless aiming at him. "Oh no! Don't! I've seen this one! He misses the apple!"

Sarless lowered his bow, confused, as Cerubois started waving his arm again, whimpering. The rat held on tight, and Cerubois feared it would cut through his armour. But then the rat started to glow orange, and Cerubois expected the worst and turned his head away.

_**Fwup Fwoooom**_

The unfamiliar sound caused Cerubois to look at the rat again, only to see that it was now ablaze! "AH!" He shouted, shaking his arm even more rapidly then before, and this time the rat let go, sending it flying into the bushes. Cerubois was about to sigh in relief, when the bushes caught fire as well!

"Oh no!" Erika shouted, "The whole forest is going to go up in flames!"

Cliff's eyes widened as he realized what was happening, and he suddenly felt afraid of the damage he was going to cause. But as soon as the flames started, they dwindled and stopped.

"What… just happened…?" Cerubois muttered in shock. Sarless walked up to the bushes and inspected them. There was no damage from the fire at all. It was as if nothing had happened.

'Odd,' Sarless thought, 'The forest can… heal itself?' He turned and looked at the others, who expected him to give them an answer. He didn't know what to say, so he shrugged. This didn't seem to help their nervous looks.

"There's a lot of strange things about this forest…" He began, "I'm sure this isn't the only thing that we're going to find out of the ordinary."

The others looked a bit more comfortable now that they were reminded of the peculiar phenomena of the Labyrinth, although they were still put off a bit by the oddity.

"Let's keep going," Sarless continued, looking up instinctively to view the sun, but only seeing the trees. The light that filtered through was orange-red, signaling dusk. "It's going to be dark soon. We better make a decision now. Should we head back to town or camp here for the night? I marked a spot that'd be…" He trailed off, noticing his companions staring at him with a hint of fear in their eyes.

"I- I don't think we should… yet." Erika said softly, looking away in embarrassment, "I mean, we're still… new here. Right?"

Cliff and Cerubois said nothing, but Sarless knew they silently agreed with her. He didn't disagree. It was a pretty spooky place to stay in, especially if one didn't know what to expect.

"Alright. We'll stay here for another hour or so, then leave for town," he planned out loud, "Cliff, good work with the rat. Cerubois, get some practice in with that shortsword before you go rushing off into battles alone."

Cerubois looked away ashamedly, and Cliff made no gesture. Erika walked over to Cerubois and began examining his wrist. Cerubois shook his arm away, muttering that he wasn't hurt.

"Good." Erika said, almost sarcastically, "Don't be a moron next time, 'kay?"

Her words seemed to bring Cerubois back, even though he was being scolded. He smiled and nodded. Erika smiled back in a sort of 'you're-an-idiot' way.

Sarless reached into his cloak and pulled out the map parchment again, and started sketching as he walked towards the left path. He figured the others wouldn't mind if he skipped the coin toss and went straight to the task. He was right, and the others followed quietly.

-----

"Aren't you done yet, Sarless?" Cerubois yawned, sitting with his back against a tree. The guild had stopped at a clearing to rest and for Sarless to finish up his mapping of the path and area. Cliff and Erika sat together a few feet away, Erika chattering away about her thoughts, and Cliff silently ignoring her. Sarless had climbed the tree that Cerubois was leaning against in order to view the area more clearly. The path they had taken had ended with this clearing. A dead end, but no one was disappointed. For the first time since they entered the Labyrinth, they felt at peace here.

That is, until a scream pierced the calmness of the night. Erika squealed at the sudden noise, and Cliff looked around confusedly. Cerubois jumped to his feet immediately and drew his sword. From his vantage point, Sarless drew his bow and quickly scanned the area. There was no one in view, but he could hear faint yelling in the direction that the scream had come from.

"This way!" Sarless called as he jumped down from the branch and rushed off back down the path. The others were quick to respond, and were running after him straight away. Cerubois was almost right behind Sarless, despite the weight of his armour. Erika was a few feet behind, looking nervously around for signs of danger, whereas Cliff brought up the rear, but this time he wasn't worried about being seen running. He was focused on the task at hand, whatever it might end up being.

Sarless burst through some bushes blocking the way and ended up on another path on the other side. He looked to his left, and could make out a group of people through the darkness. And glints of light flashing in the dark. There was a battle going on. Cerubois came bustling through the bushes right after Sarless, and made to rush off again to join the battle, but Sarless stuck his arm out to stop him.

"Wait, Cerubois. We need to find out what's going on before we run in and swing weapons wildly." Sarless instructed.

Cerubois grunted impatiently, but abided Sarless' order. He was about to ask what they were waiting to observe, when a loud roar echoed through the woods. Erika and Cliff arrived through the bushes, wondering what they had stopped for.

"Sarless, what's going on? What was that?" Erika asked, her voice stricken with fear. She waited for an answer, but Sarless seemed to be focused on the battle.

"Sarless?!"

"There!" Sarless suddenly shouted as a shadow shifted and a pair of small, orange lights appeared.

"What is it?" Erika asked again, her voice shaking, but Sarless was already stringing an arrow and taking aim.

"That doesn't matter. They need help." Sarless said, letting loose the arrow. It whistled through the air, alerting the other guild of the new presence, who shouted in surprise. A second later, a sickening roar echoed through the forest again, followed by the sound of hooves quickly approaching. Sarless' eyes grew wide as he realized what was happening. He had hit his target.

"Scatter!"

Everyone burst off in a different direction but Erika, left standing in the middle of the path, too afraid to understand the command.

"What's going on…?" Her lips mouthed her words, but her voice had disappeared. Her blue eyes focused on the glowing orange eyes of the beast as it charged. There was nothing she could do but stand and watch in her daze as the pounding of the hooves drew closer, as the shape of the monster became clearer in the darkness. Its antlers gleamed in the faint moonlight, but they were still outshone by the eyes. The eyes burning with blind rage…

"Erika!" A voice came. That was her name, right? The voice was familiar to her, but who was it? The moment seemed to last forever as the event dawned on her. She was about to…

'No…' her thoughts said as they came back, 'Not yet… Please, I don't want to die…'

"Ceru! Help me!" She finally called out, hiding herself behind her arms. She didn't want to see anything any more. If this was the end, she didn't want her last sight to be that of the beast. She took one last breath, enjoying every millisecond she had left, because it would soon be over. If only…

_**Clang!**_

'What was that…?' Erika thought, her body weak from fear. Trembling, she glanced through her arms to see someone standing in front of her, blocking the beast's charge.

"Ceru?" She whispered, squinting at the figure, but her body would not let her hear an answer as she collapsed, and everything faded into a dream.

-----

She could hear voices, but couldn't make out the words spoken. Her mind flashed back to the event in the night. But it wasn't dark now, it was bright. 'Am I dead?' She thought, still half-unconscious. Her body responded, her fingers instinctively flexing. They rubbed against something soft and warm. 'I can feel. That means… I'm alive… doesn't it…?' She wanted to cry. She was safe.

'But what about everyone else?'

"Ceru?" Her own voice startled her, causing her to jump a little.

"Erika?" A soft, hushed voice came. Erika opened her eyes, remembering she could do so, and blinked at the sudden light. She was in a sort of hospital ward that she assumed must be the apothecary. Then she looked towards the source of the sound.

"Amy…?" she said, recognizing her companion sitting beside her. But she was different now… She had taken off her armour, and her stern look had dissolved into one of gentle compassion. Erika squinted in the same way as before, noticing a healed wound on Amy's right cheek. "It was you…"

Amy looked away, hiding her scar. "I… I think I owe you an apology."

Erika giggled, "What? Don't be silly. You came back. And you saved my life. Why would you owe me an apology?"

Amy's gaze didn't falter as she explained, "If I had been there, this wouldn't have happened."

Erika's smile stayed as she observed Amy in her current state. She had known it all along. Amy wasn't always as tough as she acted.

"But you were there."

Amy suddenly broke her gaze and stared at Erika in surprise.

"You were there. You were watching over us the whole time, making sure we were safe, even though you were testing us." She continued, "I knew I saw something in the brush when Cerubois was attacked by that treerat."

Amy looked down a little, and Erika could see a small smirk on her face, obviously remembering the moment. Erika looked towards her hand and saw what it had rubbed against. She grabbed Amy's hand and looked sincerely into her blue eyes.

"I'm sorry, Amy. I thou- Let me finish." Erika cut Amy off when she had opened her mouth to protest, "I thought I was ready for the Labyrinth, but I wasn't even able to move out of the way of that monster. If I had just moved, you wouldn't have had to save me, and you wouldn't have that scar."

Amy looked away again, blushing, and muttered something about just doing her job.

"So, in return," Erika continued, letting go of her hand and gently turning Amy's head to see her face, "The least I can do is get rid of that scar for you. Can you pass me my medicine bag?"

Amy stared at Erika, debating whether or not her pride was at stake. But in the end she reached over and grabbed the bag that sat at the foot of the bed, and gave it to Erika, who sat up to examine the contents. Amy watched silently as Erika began muttering to herself and taking out bottles to read the labels, setting aside the ones she'd need. Amy couldn't help but admire the process, and only absent-mindedly took the bag back as Erika began mixing the ingredients while murmuring some incantation that Amy couldn't make out.

"Hold still." Erika directed, dipping her hand into the mixture and bringing it to Amy's right cheek. Amy avoided eye contact, but did as Erika said as she applied the medication over the scarred area.

"There. It'll be absorbed by your skin in a few minutes, and your scar should disappear with it." Erika said as she wiped her hand on a towel from the bedside table.

"Thanks." Amy said as quietly as she could, so only Erika would hear. Amy made a mental note not to underestimate Erika. She was much smarter than one would assume.

"So what was that monster anyways?" Erika asked.

"It was a FOE called a Ragelope." Amy replied softly.

"A what?"

"A FOE. Formido Oppugnatura Exsequens. It's a stronger generation of monster. It's usually better to run than fight them head on, but I guess you guys didn't know that."

Erika shook her head, then frowned, "Where are the others? Are they-?"

"They're fine," Amy replied assuringly, "That idiot Cerubois managed to wreck his left arm, but Sarless and Cliff avoided any injuries. In fact, they should be back soon. They just went to check on the other guild. One of their members was severely injured, and two of them were out cold, but the doctor said they should make a full recovery."

Erika nodded, "Amy, I have a question… If one were to… die, I've heard…"

"That they can be brought back to life?" Amy finished the question for Erika, who nodded. She sighed before answering, "Yes, it is possible. You saw the power of the Labyrinth yesterday, when it healed itself. We can… harvest that power for our own uses, including resurrection."

Erika nodded again, relieved. Although she still didn't like the idea of death, she was glad that there would be a way to be revived. She'd have to ask the doctor about the method someday.

"Hey! Look who's awake!" The sound of Cerubois' loud voice made Erika smile as he entered the room, followed by Sarless and Cliff. His left arm had been bandaged up, and he held it up like a trophy, "Don't try to elbow a ragelope in the head." He said with a grin.

Erika laughed, "Ceru, you're such an idiot."

"That's what they keep telling me," Cerubois shrugged, "Maybe it's true."

"Does it hurt?" Erika asked, her caring instinct taking over.

"What? This little thing? Not at all." Cerubois lied, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Oh, guess who came here to see us! Subaltern Quinn!"

Erika raised her eyebrows, "Really? What did he want?"

"Oh, you know, just to register us as an official guild." Cerubois said calmly, investigating the bandage on his arm. He should have been preparing for the squeal and tackle as Erika almost knocked him off the bed.

"Ah! Erika, don't do that! My arm!"

"Did he really?! I thought we had to finish the map!" Erika yelled excitedly, laughing at Cerubois' complaint.

"Nope," Sarless explained, "He was impressed that we saved the other guild, and said we could take care of ourselves just fine." He held out a badge so Erika could see, and she hastily grabbed it to examine. The crest of Etria was sewn onto it, along with the words _Explorator des Yggdrasil_.

"What language is that? Along with the other one… Foedus… whatever it's called." Erika asked.

"It's an ancient language called Latin," Amy explained, being the only one who knew, "People say it was expected to die out a long time ago, but some small towns like Etria kept it alive for history's sake."

Only Erika and Sarless acknowledged Amy's words with a nod. Cliff remained silent and Cerubois acted as if nothing had happened.

"So does that mean we can go further into the Labyrinth?" Erika asked, both excited and nervous of the thought of venturing deeper. They'd barely managed the first level, so what would they expect in the more dangerous areas?

Sarless nodded, "But first we're going to have to get used to the Labyrinth. I'm not sure we should go further just yet, so I've come up with some training exercises-"

"Training?" Cerubois looked up, a shocked look on his face, but when he saw Sarless' unamused expression, he quickly changed it into a cheesy grin. "Good. I like training."

"Good then. We'll start tomorrow." Sarless said, and everyone nodded. Sarless was finally beginning to feel like a leader, ordering everyone around all the time, though he wasn't sure if he liked it or not.

"Hello?" A voice came from the door. The guild turned to look at the new arrival, a young medic who was part of the guild that they'd saved.

"How's it going?" Cerubois greeted. The visitor smiled.

"Just fine, because of you guys," He said, "On behalf of the Brigsmy guild, I'd like to thank you again for your help, and present to you some money as a gift."

"A gift? I don't think we should…" Sarless trailed off.

The medic blushed and nodded, as though he'd expected the answer, "Well, can we at least buy you a round at the pub?" He asked hopefully.

"Oo! Is it okay, Sarless?" Cerubois asked eagerly, like a child wanting a toy. Sarless turned to the others for their opinion. They seemed content with the idea. Sarless nodded, and Cerubois whooped.

"Great," The medic said, grinning, "I'll tell the others. They should be up and about later, so we'll come back here then."

"See you then." Sarless said, and the medic left, all smiles, his footsteps echoing down the hall.

-----

As the two guilds entered the Golden Deer Pub, they could be easily classified as first-timers and experienced veterans. The Brigsmy guild immediately went off scouting for a table, while the Nidhogg guild stood at the door, staring in surprise at the size of the pub. It could easily have fit 40 guilds, with room for more possible. A large bar was placed along the wall to the right of the entrance and spanned almost the entire length of the wall, with a table at each end. What was even more surprising was that the entire building was filled with other people, laughing, drinking, eating, and having an all-around good time. It was easy to see that this was a place of happiness, away from the troubles of the Labyrinth. Sarless elbowed Cerubois lightly, who was staring at a group of girls, informing him that the other guild had found a table.

"We got lucky tonight," the medic said cheerfully as the guild approached, "Usually there's a line at the door."

They all had a seat, and within moments a barmaid arrived at their table. She looked to be in her late twenties, with her long brown hair tied back in a ponytail and a beauty mark under her left eye.

"Well if it isn't the Brigsmy kids," she said in a scolding tone, "What were you thinking? You nearly got yourselves killed! Don't do that to me! You know how attached I get to my favourites!"

The guild lowered their heads in shame and embarrassment, mumbling apologies. The barmaid's attention turned to the others.

"And these must be your saviours." She suddenly smiled, her brown eyes shining, "Welcome to Etria. My name's Valerie, I'm the publican here. I can't thank you enough for saving these guys."

"It was nothing." Cerubois said, trying his best to be modest.

Valerie nodded, her smile fading, "This kind of thing happens too often, and sometimes there's no one there to help… It's upsetting for me." She let out a sigh, then after a moment of thought, straightened up again. "Well, what can I get you guys tonight?"

"We'll have a round to start off with," the landsknecht from Brigsmy requested, and Valerie nodded.

"One round coming up." She said with a wink and walked back towards the bar.

A few rounds later, Erika decided to quit for the night. She wanted to make sure the others could make it to the inn alright. It was getting late, but she didn't want to interrupt, since they were all enjoying themselves. Cerubois was boasting about the fight with the Ragelope for the third time, swaying a little with each excited gesture as he re-enacted the battle. Sarless was busy sharing stories with the Brigsmy troubadour, and even Cliff had started opening up. But she suddenly noticed that Amy wasn't sitting at the table. She looked around, and then spotted her sitting at the bar alone. Erika turned to excuse herself, but didn't bother. Everyone was too distracted to notice her slip away.

"You know, you don't have to isolate yourself to overcome a problem." Erika said as she sat down beside Amy. Amy didn't reply.

"It's usually better to be with friends in difficult times."

Amy snorted, "What friends? I don't fit in with you. Or anyone. In my guild, I was the leader because the others were afraid of me. They had no respect for me. And now… now I'm the outcast. And I _don't_ want your pity." She glared at Erika, and Erika was glad to see that her scar had disappeared nicely. But she could also see that Amy's face was beginning to turn red from the alcohol. She looked away and stared at the counter, allowing Amy to calm a little.

"Look, we're willing to accept you as part of the team and a friend, but you're making it hard by distancing yourself from us."

Amy's expression softened a little and she turned back to her mead. She took another sip and hiccupped. She blushed a little, making her face more red.

"And that's enough alcohol for you." Erika said simply, taking Amy's glass away and walking back to the table. Amy was left staring after her, mouth slightly agape, confused as to what had just happened. She turned back around, embarrassed that she was being ordered around. She was about to ask Valerie for another glass, but stopped. Perhaps Erika was right, but… Amy wasn't the best at making friends. Finally, she made up her mind and brought a chair over to the table to sit down. She was immediately welcomed by the others, who'd also had a bit too much to drink, but Amy just smiled uncomfortably.

"And that's when I went in for the final blow!" Cerubois said a little too loudly.

This caught Amy's attention. "Excuse me?" She asked rudely.

"You know, the final blow. Hwah." Cerubois said to Amy as if she was just there for the story and making a downward motion with his arms to emphasize his point. He turned back to continue, but Amy interrupted again.

"To my memory, you were on the ground wailing as I finished off the Ragelope." Amy said uncouthly.

Cerubois stared at her awhile, trying to recognize this intruder in his story, then frowned as he remembered. "Well at least I had the guts to stay with my guild instead of letting them almost get killed."

Amy stood up, her breathing quickened, "Oh right, saying this after I came and saved your asses! If it weren't for me, you'd all be dead right now! Maybe next time I'll just watch!" She kicked her chair out of the way and stormed out of the pub before anyone could say something to stop her.

Everyone was left staring at Cerubois, both in confusion and disrespect.

"What?" He said, annoyed at the looks. "Don't you start on me too. We don't need her."

But the party was over, and people started getting up and saying farewells. Cerubois sat in his place as the rest of his guild stood up and gathered their belongings. They didn't say anything to him as they left for the inn, but Erika gave him a dark glance before turning away.

Cerubois sat still as Valerie came by and started cleaning up the table.

"You know, you didn't really handle that well, kid." She said politely.

But Cerubois didn't answer. He simply put his glass down and walked out into the night.

**In the next chapter…**

**Tensions run high in the Nidhogg guild during the training that Sarless has set up, and the team takes a chance with the next floor of the Labyrinth.**

"**That's it!" Cerubois yelled furiously, "You and me right now!"**

"**Cerubois!" Erika yelled in surprise, but Cerubois ignored her.**

**Amy stood up straight, "Is that a challenge?" She asked coldly.**

Author's Notes:

Just a little comment on the 'Explorator des Yggdrasil'. I'm pretty sure it's not proper Latin, since I know nothing of it. I used online translators, but I couldn't find a translation for "of" (if there even is one), so just pronounce 'des' as it is, not the French way. :P I'm not going to worry about it too much, since it's an ancient language only carried on by small towns, right? There's gotta be a few changes over the years. '


	3. Chapter 3: Enemies Within Allies

Trials of Nidhogg

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the "Etrian Odyssey" franchise.

**Note**: Shorter chapter. I decided to move the next part to chapter 4.

**Chapter 3 – Enemies within Allies**

"HAAAAAH!"

_**Wump**_

The target lay in two pieces of clean-cut wood as Cerubois stepped back, examining his work.

"This really is more powerful than my old longsword…" He said, slightly in awe of his weapon. "That wood felt like butter."

When no one responded to his statement, he looked around to see why he wasn't the center of attention. Erika was sitting a few feet away with Cliff. She'd been practicing her bandages on him, much to his dismay. Cerubois looked down and sighed. Erika was usually the one to acknowledge Cerubois' needs, but she'd been ignoring him all morning. In fact, everyone seemed pretty peeved at him since they woke up.

"_Morning, y'all. Man, those beds are nice, eh? Reminds me of back home." Cerubois greeted, stretching widely._

_Sarless was the only one to nod, though his eyes showed that he wasn't particularly glad to see Cerubois. Cliff said nothing (though that wasn't really out of the ordinary), and Erika didn't even look at him. _

"_Off to the training now? Or are we eating first?" He tried again, grinning his best grin._

_Again, no replies. The rest simply walked past him into the inn's lobby, where he saw Amy waiting._

'_I suppose they're not going to forgive and forget that easily…' He thought, disheartened. 'Well, they gotta lighten up sometime.'_

They hadn't lightened up yet. Even after their practice sessions had been broken up repeatedly with the appearance of monsters – forced to fight alongside each other – they seemed just as angry at him as before.

"Monster bones are harder than wood. You better come up with a better strategy than cleaving." Sarless called, stringing an arrow and letting it fly towards the target he made out of the materials they'd found in the Labyrinth. It hit a little off centre, and Sarless took a step back to hone his distance shots.

Content with a little bit of attention, even though it was negative, Cerubois smirked slightly. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing on a striking pattern he'd learned from his master.

"_When strength will not do, you must use your advantages." Cerubois could hear his master's voice lecturing the young students. "Surprise will benefit greatly, but is not always available. Therefore I will teach you the art of the blade."_

_The kids watched as their master did a slow sequence of steps with his sword to demonstrate the move. He finished and turned to the students, signaling that it was their turn. Unlike the other trainees, Cerubois had memorized every detail from watching the sessions of the older students, and executed the move perfectly with his wooden training sword._

"_Cerubois, that was surprisingly well done. Stand aside for a moment. The rest of you, try again." The master ordered. Cerubois happily complied, and watched the students practice. After another round, the master told some more to stand out, while the rest repeated. This process continued until there was one student left, who by this point was red-faced with embarrassment._

"_Wow, do you suck, Brélin. It's not that hard a move." Cerubois called out to the struggling youth. His remark was rewarded with a few laughs from the others, and then a hard smack on the back of the head. He cried out and turned, ready to take on the one who hit him, only to see his master standing above him._

"_Do not make enemies within allies, Cerubois. If you were in danger, Brélin might think twice about saving you," The master's voice was lecturing, but calm as always, "That is not in your best interests. Do you understand?"_

_Cerubois nodded, upset for being scolded. "Like I'd need saving…" He muttered under his breath._

Cerubois opened his eyes, his concentration interrupted. He looked over at Amy, who was leaning against a tree observing the others.

'Hmph. I don't need her help. I'm the best fighter in Borrdo. The only one to win his conclusive match against the master.' He grinned at the memory, and carried out his attack pattern, slicing another wooden target horizontally on the final slash.

"I think I'm ready to take on another Ragelope!" Cerubois smirked, twirling his blade in his hand. From across the clearing, Amy scoffed loudly. Cerubois stopped and turned to her. "What's your problem?"

Amy glared at him, "You call that an attack? With all that fancy flare I'm surprised you didn't hurt yourself trying."

Cerubois straightened up, anger flashing in his eyes. "That happens to be one of the best moves I was taught, and could easily take on any Vanlandish technique."

"Best you were taught?" Amy replied cynically, ignoring the shot at her region, "And who was your teacher?"

Cerubois switched his sword arm and stood in salute, his right fist over his heart, "Great Master Jean-Sin of Borrdo." He said proudly.

Amy suddenly snorted, stifling a laugh. "Jean-Sin Marseilles? That fool? He likes to look good more than winning! He'd rather die in style than win without it!"

"Jean-Sin is a warrior and an artist! He's one of the best there is!" Cerubois argued, "And you know what? I defeated him!"

"Well that's quite an accomplishment." Amy smirked.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

"It means don't be so cocky, idiot! I'd be surprised if you made it past the first stratum with your skills!"

"That's it! You've insulted me, my comrades, and my culture!" Cerubois yelled furiously, "No more! You and me right now!"

"Cerubois!" Erika yelped in surprise, breaking her silence, but Cerubois ignored her.

Amy stood up straight, her smirk fading slightly. "Is that a challenge?" She asked coldly.

'_My apologies, master…'_

Cerubois nodded slowly.

Amy took a step forward to grab her sword and shield. But before she could do so, Cerubois suddenly jumped at her. Erika screamed, and Amy quickly grabbed her sword, leaving her shield, and stopped the attack in mid-air. Cerubois barely had time to realize what had happened when he was punched hard in the gut. He keeled over in pain.

'What the hell! She stopped my attack with one hand!' He grimaced.

"Sarless! Stop them!" Erika pleaded, but Sarless made no notion of doing so. He watched as Amy stood above Cerubois, ready for another attack. He knew there'd be a clash between the two. This was probably the only way…

"Classic Borrdism. Never fight fair," Amy said disgustedly, "Perhaps that's why you're so arrogant. Have you ever properly dueled before?"

"Grrr, I'll teach you who's the arrogant one!" Cerubois shouted as he jumped back up and launched a flurry of small swipes at Amy. Amy blocked each one, but Cerubois kept slashing, his fury taken over. He finally saw an opening, and stabbed low using both arms.

_**Clink!**_

Amy was forced to use both hands to parry Cerubois' strong attack, but didn't stay on the defensive for long. She kicked Cerubois' injured arm, and seeing the pain flash in his eyes, swung her sword towards his. With a harsh metal-to-metal crash, Cerubois' sword went flying out his hands and landed on the grass a few yards away. Cerubois fell to one knee, unarmed, breathless, and beaten. Amy stood above him, glaring.

"Don't try that again."

Cerubois cursed at her under his breath, but didn't reply. Amy walked back to her shield and set her sword beside it as it was before, then returned to the tree that she'd been leaning against.

'So that's it.' Sarless thought. He'd been worried about the possibility of serious injuries, and was content with this outcome, though he felt sorry for Cerubois. He'd lost in a dishonourable way.

Erika stood up and walked over to Cerubois, hand held out to help him up. Cerubois looked up and grabbed it, only lightly putting his weight onto Erika's arm. But before he could thank her, she slapped him across the face.

"Ow! What was that for?" He growled.

"For being an asshole." Erika replied unsympathetically, crossing her arms.

"So you're taking her side?" Cerubois asked, outraged.

"Only if you keep making sides to take," Erika countered angrily, "We're supposed to be a team, but you've already started breaking us up. Just shut up and get used to it!"

Cerubois watched her move away again and frowned. His breath was still short from the battle's intensity. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped, and instead walked off to retrieve his sword. As he bent down to pick it up, he noticed a small chip was missing off the blade where Amy had struck it. His pride was shattered. He sat down beside his sword and thrust it into the soft earth.

'Is it true, master…? Were you just an old fool?'

"_You're my best student, Cerubois. I expect great things from you."_

'Does the best of Borrdo really count for anything?'

"_Students! It is my great honour to award Cerubois this medallion, as champion of the tournament, and winner of his conclusive match. He has shown that the student can even surpass the teacher."_

Cerubois reached under his armour and pulled out the medallion. He'd since cut the stringand kept it in his pocket, knowing a necklace to be a hazard in battle. He often sat and admired the craftsmanship of the medal, running his fingers across the soft gold. It really was a piece of art, with the insignia of Borrdo expertly inscribed into it.

But now, it all seemed worthless. What was the point of having a medal for being the best if he wasn't actually the best? He'd been humiliated…

Cerubois reached back to throw the prize into the woods, but stopped halfway through. His thoughts cleared enough to realize it wasn't worth the loss. That medallion still held memories, and he'd regret losing it. He sighed and put it back in his pocket.

-----

_**Thwack**_

The arrow was a near bulls-eye this time. Sarless silently congratulated himself on his progress. He'd found that he preferred training in the Labyrinth, since there were no unexpected variables like wind to worry about. He could focus on the target instead of the physics.

As he went to retrieve his arrows, he noticed Erika walking towards him with a concerned look on her face. He stopped, and Erika came forward and whispered something in his ear. Sarless looked over to Cerubois, still sitting on the far side of the clearing. He nodded to Erika, who attempted a smile in thanks.

As he walked towards Cerubois, Sarless was trying to think of what to say. He definitely wasn't the best at these things. He could barely get the hang of giving orders, and now he was going to try his hand at counseling. The Labyrinth was proving to be quite a different experience than he'd expected…

"Cerubois?"

Cerubois shifted a little, but didn't turn around.

"How's it going?" Sarless asked. 'Good. Start simple.'

"…I'm sorry." Came a barely audible whisper, catching Sarless off guard. He hadn't expected Cerubois to be so straight to the point. How was he supposed to respond to that? 'So much for my process.'

"I've been selfish and rude, but I think… I think I'm ready to be part of the team now." Cerubois continued, standing and talking a little louder, "That is… if you'll let me."

"Cerubois…" Sarless trailed off. He wanted to say something supportive. Something to contradict Cerubois' melancholy, to make Cerubois himself again. But Sarless decided it would be best left to time. He nodded, and saw Cerubois' face lighten a little.

"Hey Sarless," Cerubois said, lowering his voice again, "Do you think… Erika's still mad at me?"

Sarless smirked a little. Maybe it wouldn't take as long as he expected.

He turned around to face the others, who were watching curiously. "Alright everyone. I think that's enough practice for today," Sarless called out making a point to not mention the clash, "I think we have a choice in what to do now."

"Go deeper or go home." Cliff said for him, and Sarless nodded.

Nobody said anything. Sarless understood why. Only Amy knew what to expect on the second floor of the Labyrinth.

"Amy, what do you think?" Sarless asked.

Amy looked back at him, expressionless. "The second floor is more dangerous. There are many more FOEs, as well as stronger monsters in general. But I think you should be fine. You've all improved, and as long as I'm there, there shouldn't be a problem."

"Well, are we agreed then?" Sarless asked the group. "To the next floor?" There was a general consensus within the guild.

"Then let's go."

-----

As the guild reached the end of the narrow path, they slowed to a stop. The stairs lay before them, carved out of the base of a large tree. Many had traveled down this seemingly natural staircase before them. The Radha had contemplated its existence as a clue to the Labyrinth's origin. But like the Labyrinth, it remained a mystery, and was soon simply accepted by explorers as a way to travel through the Labyrinth. Few worried about its nature any more than they worried about falling down it – meaning nothing to them but an extension of the path.

To the Nidhogg Guild, it meant a new trial to face. At the bottom of these stairs lay a more dangerous area of the forest. And after that, a deeper, darker place. An apparently never-ending series of hardships. Did it even have an end?

Sarless stood as a leader in front of the others as they gazed ahead. Their journey along the winding path had been quiet. He knew they were all thinking the same thing.

'Well, aside from Amy. She's probably getting bored of these moments.' He stole a glance to see her expression. She looked surprisingly patient. Perhaps she understood their feelings as novices.

The challenges would continue to become harder from this point on, and by the time a guild approached these steps, they were expected to be prepared for it. Were they prepared?

He looked back to the stairs, thinking.

'I wonder… if Yrsa went beyond this point…'

"_Just think about it, Sarless. Fame, fortune, adventure… What more could you want?"_

_"…"_

_"Exactly. You could do whatever you feel like! All for just finding the secret of the Labyrinth! It's everything I want! And that's why… I have to go."_

'What more could you want…?'

His thoughts were interrupted by the clinking of armour behind them. Another guild had turned the corner and was heading towards them. He saw their leader turn his head to his comrade on the right and whisper something. The other nodded and passed on the message to the rest of the group.

The Nidhogg guild backed off to the side of the path and the arrivals passed by, the leader barely nodding his head towards them in greeting. They filed down the stairs within the large tree and disappeared.

"They looked pretty tough…" Cerubois said in an awed tone.

"They haven't made it past the fifth floor." Amy stated bluntly.

"What?"

"If they'd made it to the next stratum, they'd have used a geomagnetic field to warp there instead of walking."

"She's right, you know, Ceru. They were just trying to impress us." Erika said, smirking.

"And what makes you so sure?" Cerubois' attention turned to her.

"'Cuz I can read lips." She said with a wink.

Cerubois face reddened. 'Did she…?' He looked away to hide his blush. "But what the heck is a geomagnetic field?"

"Oh come on, Ceru, don't you know anything about the Labyrinth? A geomagnetic field is a natural warping field," Erika explained, "You can find them in all the stratums. Though we're not actually sure what the heck they are."

"See, even you don't know what they are." Cerubois said defiantly, crossing his arms.

Erika sighed, but didn't reply. "Well, what are we waiting for? If we don't hurry, they're gonna get all the good monsters."

She turned around and started walking to the stairs, and the others instinctively followed. A confused Cerubois turned to Cliff.

"Did her personality just change?"

Cliff simply gave him a blank look.

Cerubois looked ahead again to observe Erika. She was walking confidently, twirling her small staff like a baton. He was reminded of a parade he'd seen in the Gladsheim kingdom, the way she was leading them. Only then, the parade wasn't heading into the most dangerous place they'd ever been.

**Author's Notes:**

- Borrdo is a mix between Norse's Borr and the French region of Bordeaux. I've always thought of Cerubois as a French name, so I figured I should make his region reflective of that.

- I guess I better include a little note about the 'stratum' comment, in case you haven't played the game (even though I doubt that is the case :P). The Labyrinth is divided into stratums, or areas, each with its own unique aspect to it (forest, jungle, etc.). It's common for people to judge adventurers by what stratum or floor they've reached.


End file.
